TENNIS | MASTERS SERIES

Defending champion Federer to meet Nadal in the Hamburg final

Roger Federer will play Rafael Nadal in the Hamburg Masters final again.

The top two players in the world set up a repeat of last year's showdown, when Federer won his fourth Hamburg title and ended Nadal's' 81-match winning streak on clay - his only win over the Spaniard on the slow surface.

They advanced in contrasting fashion Saturday.

The top-ranked Federer overwhelmed Andreas Seppi 6-3, 6-1, but Nadal had to fight more than three hours to turn back an inspired challenge from Novak Djokovic 7-5, 2-6, 6-2.

Nadal's No. 2 ranking was at stake against Djokovic but the Spaniard prevailed in an often spectacular match that had both players clenching fists and thumping chests after amazing winners and turned into a superb battle of wills, stamina and skill.

"It was great to be part of a fantastic match, the quality was very high," Djokovic said. "It was one of the best, maybe the best match I can remember I played on clay."

Nadal called the duel "amazing, one of my best matches."

Djokovic was seeking back-to-back titles after winning last week's Rome Masters, where Nadal lost in an early round after suffering from a painful blister in his foot.

That was only Nadal's second defeat on clay in 109 matches stretching back more than three years.

Djokovic leads the season points race after winning his first major at the Australian Open and then beating Nadal in the semifinals at Indian Wells before capturing that Masters Series event.

However, he had never beaten Nadal on clay in three previous matches. He came close Saturday but had himself to blame for a host of wasted opportunities.

The third-ranked Serb came out roaring, racing to a 3-0 lead in the first set and held two break points to make it 4-0. But Nadal held and then broke Djokovic before making it 3-3.

"The first three games he played were unbelievable. Had I gone down 4-0, it would have been impossible to win the set," Nadal said.

Nadal broke at love and served for the set at 5-4. But he lost the first three points, the last one a double-fault after receiving a warning for time violation, taking too long to serve.

Djokovic won an exchange of drop shots to level at 5-5, only to watch a huge forehand from Nadal hit the line for another break in the next game, causing the Spaniard to jump high into the air and swing his fist. He won the set in the next game.

Djokovic bounced back in the second, but the match was decided early in the third. Djokovic dropped his serve in the opening game and then squandered four break points in two successive games on Nadal's serve.

"It was very crucial for me to win that first game but I made two unforced errors and he used it very wisely. He is the best defensive player in the history of the game," Djokovic said.

Nadal needed five match points to win the last game, during which Djokovic squandered four more break points.

"I was unlucky at some points in the first and third sets," Djokovic said. "I played all the right shots but luck played a big role. I feel with this performance that I am getting closer to him on clay."

The match took 3 hours, 3 minutes and Nadal may feel the consequences when he faces a rested Federer, who spent nearly two hours less on the court.

"I am playing at Roger's home and I am little tired. It will be very tough but I will be very motivated," said Nadal, who has a 9-6 career record against Federer.

Playing under a closed canvas roof on a rainy day, Federer could have made the score even more one-sided but converted just one of his eight break points in the first set.

"It was a long first set. I created many opportunities. I think I wore him out and set it up for the second set," Federer said.

Federer has not dropped a set on his way to the final and has yet to play a seeded player. The tournament is a major warmup for the French Open later this month, the only Grand Slam title that Federer has yet to win.

"It is good to be in the Hamburg final again, it is good for the confidence ahead of the French Open," he said.

Federer has won only one title this year, at a relatively small clay-court tournament last month in Estoril, Portugal.

He lost his sixth match of 2008 in the Rome Masters quarterfinals last week, to Radek Stepanek.

"Maybe I am a touch better than last year. I feel a bit more ready for Paris," Federer said.

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